Bengaluru: Church Street may be vehicle-free on weekends

Bengaluru Development and Town Planning Minister KJ George said on Thursday the Karnataka government was considering building a “Bangalore Square” at the junction of Brigade Road and Residency Road in the city,

George made the announcement at a function where Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated a revamped Church Street. He also said authorities will hold a meeting to discuss whether Church Street can be made vehicle-free on weekends.

The revamped Church Street has granite footpaths, cobblestone carriageways and nine LED lights. The new parking facility can accommodate 103 two-wheelers and 16 four-wheelers. The Rs 9.03-crore project was delayed since it was approved in 2016.

Revamping the 750-metre street was supposed to be completed on July 1, 2017, but missed four deadlines after workers discovered British-era underground pipelines.

Although Siddaramaiah inaugurated the road on Thursday, the work is yet to be completed, Agency reported. “The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has managed to complete all the work except for the construction of the four-wheeler parking bays,” said KT Nagaraj, BBMP’s chief engineer for road widening.